It's funny to think about what I first imagined my photography journey to be. I envisioned props, hats, and a lemonade stand that could be made perfect for every season. It's almost comical to imagine me doing those things now. I don't even know where to buy props! My first photography instructor gave us a final assignment of "look at 10,000 photos to figure out what you like. Find your style." I tried to love the images of the baby in the cowboy hats or the family nicely sitting on a blanket smiling at the camera, I just couldn't. They looked great but they didn't make me wonder about the story of the people in the photos. My husband hates the fact I dwell on the fake characters in the Walking Dead for days after each episode. As you can imagine, my curiosity is worse with real people. Poor guy! I can't help it though, I love to know the story of strangers...and zombie slayers.
By chance, 8 months ago I stumbled on Brooke Snow's website where she did a workshop dealing with lifestyle and beloved photography techniques. I signed up and instantly fell in love. Her images were breathtaking. There were genuine smiles and looks of love...I. died. This is what I wanted to do. For months I used Brooke's techniques and then finally got the chance to see Jesh de Rox (founder of the Beloved Collective). Game over, people. Watching him use the invites to get emotion-filled moments was amazing and confirmed my love of the style even more.
When I finally get the chance to sit down with a glass of wine and look over my photos after a session, it's pretty rough. I usually only focus on the flaws... harsh lighting, the fact I chopped an arm off, or that photo that would be perfect if everyone was in focus. Fail. There's usually a few choice words and several more glasses of wine. After a good amount of time of me calling myself a worthless piece of crap that should be forced to eat prison food in a cold cell for eternity, I notice the expressions. Love on a grandmas face during a conversation. Laughter of dad that's usually pretty stiff. A mom hugging her kids so tightly you think they all might explode. It's an amazing thing to be part of. Oh, and then I remember, I did that. And I, my friends, am a badass for making that happen. Bam!
So, from a technical point of view, my photos are not perfect. And I'm totally ok with that. I would much rather capture what's going on in front of me than spend time fidgeting with the settings and risk missing something perfect. Because to me, having someone say they cried when they saw their photos or they don't remember ever hearing someone they love laugh as hard is they did during our time together, is so much better than a technically correct photo. I'm glad the prop and portrait photographers exist, there is definitely a demand for them. I know lots of moms that love to see their babies in all kinds of hats and baskets! But that definitely isn't me. I'll spend my time talking about funny memories and playing charades, helping to make memories that will last forever...and being a badass emotion maker.
